Seventh-annual awards focus on thought-leadership values and why food matters.

The seventh-annual Leadership Awards—the Augies—from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) were presented to four individuals who exemplify, in spirit and deed, the CIA’s four core value pillars:

• Honored for his dedication to professional excellence and innovation: Daniel Humm, executive chef, Eleven Madison Park and The NoMad Hotel, New York City

• Honored for creating restaurant menus that promote health and wellness: Clifford Pleau ’81, corporate executive chef, Seasons 52, Orlando, Fla.

• Honored for his contribution to the understanding of world cuisines and cultures: Rick Bayless, chef/owner, Frontera Grill, Topolobampo and Xoco, Chicago

One of Kendall College’s 14 commercial kitchens will annually recognize a great chef or cook.

Celebrity chef Rick Bayless was on hand April 12 to speak with students, faculty and staff as the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts in Chicago honored him with a dedication of the “Great Chefs Kitchen.” The commercial kitchen lab that has served culinary students since the Riverworks campus’ opening in 2005 will bear Bayless’ name for the inaugural year of this new program that will annually honor a chef who has significantly influenced and shaped American foodways.

In the foodservice realm, Bayless, owner of Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, Xoco and other well-known eateries in greater Chicago, is arguably America’s foremost expert on authentic regional Mexican cuisine. His PBS television series, “Mexico – One Plate at a Time,” along with his gourmet retail lines and award-winning cookbooks, have made Bayless a household name from coast to coast.

Napa Technology reports 2013 wine trends as wine experts weigh in from the field.

Napa Technology, developer of WineStation 3.0, conducted its third-annual survey* asking leading wine-industry professionals to share what they see happening in wine trends in restaurants, arenas, hotels, cruise ships and retail venues.

Informed predictions for 2013 include a continued effort to reach Millennials, greater emphasis on women wine drinkers and a general pronouncement that wines-by-the-glass programs should stretch beyond the “known” varietals and provide more choices.

Last year’s Napa Technology survey revealed that ordering wines by the glass was on the rise, driven by a more sophisticated and younger customer, but that the Baby Boomer generation were a mighty purchasing force not to be ignored. 

John C. Schopp cooks with jazz, creating an intimate communion with his guests that’s all about nourishing the essence of another human being.

By Lynn Schwartz

John Schopp, chef-owner of Center Stage Catering located in Rocky Mount, Va., believes that if you wrap your brain around what you want to do with your life, everything will fall into place. Doors open. Connections appear.

Schopp’s doors opened to music. Jazz. And while Schopp does play guitar, his path was not about making music, but about feeding the musicians. This is a task that he takes seriously and is fully present for, approaching his menus with the same artistic focus that is required of a musician when creating or performing a song.

Staying in Tune
Intent on nourishing the artist’s soul, Schopp views preparing a meal like making music. “A musician works from the beginning to the end of the song,” he says. “How they fill that space inside is what makes the music. It’s the same with food.”

Center Stage Catering’s website describes it even further, comparing its chefs to jazz musicians and the food they create to a well-executed jam session—fresh, spontaneous, playing off of each other and the audience energy—all within the parameters of the song. This approach to food has made all of Schopp’s clients, even those without musical talents, very happy.

Asking students to prepare abstracts or executive summaries of documents they have read encourages separating an article into its relevant parts, synthesizing information from various sections, and describing it in a clear and well-organized manner.

By Dr. Fred Mayo, CHE, CHT

Last month, we discussed the value of writing annotated bibliographies as a way to encourage students to read articles—both in scholarly journals and trade publications—and other documents critically. This month, we will discuss the merits of assigning executive summaries and abstracts as ways to encourage critical thinking.

Differences between Executive Summaries and Abstracts
Although both abstracts and executive summaries provide information about the article to which they are attached, they serve very different purposes.